The Greek military junta, known as the Regime of Colonels, was a coup d’etat led by a group of colonels on April 21, 1967. It ended on July 24, 1974, under the pressure of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus. The coup was led by a group of right-wing army officers led by Brigadier General Stylianos Pattakos and Colonels George Papadopoulos and Nikolaos Makarezos. They seized power quickly, just weeks before the scheduled elections, using the elements of surprise and confusion. Leaders placed tanks in strategic positions and gained complete control of the city. Small mobile units arrested leading politicians and citizens suspected of left-wing sympathies.